Gotham

Although I've been to Gotham a few times since my last blog post, I haven't actually been enthusiastic enough to blog about it again.  It isn't as if the food hasn't been good.  Rather, it has been consistently great along with the service.  This time around, I thought that I needed to do an updated post about one of Vancouver's premier steakhouses.  I've actually merged 2 visits into this one post just to have a bit more content.

So a visit to Gotham is not complete without their Cheese Bread.  I know, I know, it should really be a steak, but beyond that, the bread is fantastic.  For both meals, it was served hot with a mess of ooey gooey cheese atop heavily buttered bread.  The bottom was lightly crispy while the cheese was aromatic and provided a delicious saltiness.  Yes, this was not diet food, but worth all the calories.  Just commit to it and worry about it later!

Although not the biggest Crab Cake we've ever seen, the one here at Gotham was fantastic.  It was completely filled with fluffy crab with very little filler.  There was enough mayo and moisture to keep things delicate and not dry.  It was lightly coated with breading that was browned up nicely on both sides.  Yes, this was prepared properly pan-fried, not deep-fried.  Underneath, the pickled cucumbers added some acidity while the jalapeno tartar sauce was creamy with a slight kick.

Not normally on the regular menu, the Lobster Bisque was a feature for one of our meals and duh, we had to get it!  This was everything a lobster bisque should be with a rich silky texture that was full of depth and intense lobster aroma.  In addition, we could also taste the remnants of brandy that had been cooked down properly.  There was equals parts sweetness and saltiness in addition to the umaminess.  Some crème fraîche added more creaminess to the bisque.

Onto the steaks, our first visit was all about the 32oz Bone-In Ribeye prepared medium-rare.  This was one large steak that was thick cut and prepared perfectly.  There was an appealing char on the outside that also has some smokiness.  The steak was well-salted, hence it ate well on its own.  The meat was super tender and juicy where the meat flavour was uniformly apparent with each bite.  The cook on the steak was the same throughout.

For the second meal, we ordered the 20oz Bone-In Ribeye also prepared medium-rare.  Since it was a smaller steak, it was less thick.  Yet, the steak was still uniformly medium-rare, well-rested and buttery tender.  That is pretty impressive for a ribeye.  Once again, it was well-seasoned and also properly charred on the outside.  If I had to compare, I preferred the thicker cut of the 32oz as it was meatier in texture and flavour.  I would recommend you go for that one.

To get some variety and for comparison's sake, we got the 16oz Striploin also prepared medium-rare.  This was a long piece of steak with a smaller end, so that part was more medium.  This steak was a little less tender than the ribeye and of course, due to having less fat, it was not as meaty tasting.  That didn't mean it didn't taste good though as it was salted well and the char was even on both sides.  Again, it was well-rested with not pools of juices on the plate.

For our sides, we got the French Fries both times and I have to admit that they are only serviceable.  Although fried to golden brown, the fries were not that crunchy for either meal.  Now that wasn't a problem for the Portobello Mushroom Fries though.  Coated with breading, these were crunchy in both meals and juicy on the inside.  A pretty impressive feat since mushrooms release a lot of moisture.  The side of creamy ranch dip went well with these fries.

As for some veggies, we had the Roasted Broccoli with cheese sauce and the Creamed Corn.  Loved the texture of the broccoli as the florets were firm but cooked through.  Nice charred portions that were smoky and flavourful.  Cheese sauce was mild-tasting.  The creamed corn was fantastic with intensely sweet niblets that were tender but not mushy.  The cream was not that thick, but that was a good thing as the dish was not heavy.

For dessert, had the Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownie with ice cream and the Key Lime Pie.  The brownie was rich and chocolatey with walnuts.  It was sweet, but not overly so.  The key lime pie was my favourite where it was super tangy with a balancing sweetness.  The condensed milk added a rich creaminess to the pie filling where it was thick, but not heavy.  The crust was buttery while firm in texture.  So another delicious meal at Gotham.  Sure, it ain't cheap to eat here, but I've never been disappointed by their food.  I personally like Elisa more, but you can't go wrong with Gotham either.

The Good:
- Beautifully cooked steaks
- Excellent service
- That cheese bread!

The Bad:
- Of course it is expensive
- The fries are a bit disappointing

Tang's Vietnamese

Awhile back, I had stopped by for a quick meal at Tang's but only tried their Pho and not much else.  I thought it was pretty solid but lamented that I didn't try some of their more unique dishes.  Well, that wasn't going to be a problem this time around since Jackie and I were there to sample their featured items as well as ordering a few classic dishes as well.  I enjoy the collection of Vietnamese restaurants in town that now serve more than the basic dishes.  Love the variety.

As such, we began with a dish that is becoming more popular in some of the newer Vietnamese spots in the Signature Viet Butter Garlic Beef.  Of course we always have to compare to the most famous version of all - Phnom Penh.  This one featured less cilantro and smaller slices of raw beef.  But in my opinion, this was more tender and easier to eat.  In terms of taste, this was more mildly-flavoured where I could taste the garlic butter. 

Next up, we had the Tamarind Viet Snails.  These can also be had in sea salt or garlic butter.  I actually thought tamarind was a good match for these large snails since the other 2 flavours could have less impact than the tangy and sweet tamarind.  Texturally, these snails did have a chew, but were ultimately tender enough to eat fairly easily.  Due to the amount of meat, the impactful tamarind helped flavour the dish.

Another special dish was the Saigon Salted Egg Yolk Prawns.  This could also be prepared with tamarind, but since we already had that, the salted egg yolk was the flavour of choice.  The medium-sized prawns were deep-fried enough that we could eat the whole thing including the shell.  However, it may have needed just a bit more deep fry because some parts were hard to chew.  The prawns were perfectly cooked with sweet bouncy meat.  As for the sauce, it was definitely full of creamy salted egg yolk as well as garlic.

We added 2 other smaller dishes in the Shoulder Pole Chicken Feet with kumquat and lemongrass as well as the Oyster Pancake.  The gelatinized chicken feet were appealing in texture while so flavourful from the ample lemongrass.  There was sweetness and tang from the kumquat.  Rather plain-looking, the oyster pancake ate much better than its appearance.  It was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  There was a good amount of buttery and briny oysters hidden within.

We had Combo Set A as well that consisted of sugar cane prawn, grilled beef skewer and spring roll with vermicelli.  This was a good mix of components where the prawn paste on the sugar cane was bouncy and sweet.  The beef was well-charred, tender and caramelized.  Spring roll was crispy with a tender pork filling with the usual carrot and wood ear.  Also on the plate was basil, lettuce and veggies.  The trick here is to wrap all of the ingredients like a lettuce wrap.

On the topic of wraps, the Beef Rib Bánh Hỏi featured well-charred grilled beef short ribs.  They were marinated well with a rich sweetness accented by the saltiness of the fish sauce.  The dish came with vermicelli noodle sheets that you can wrap the short rib, basil and veggies.  Add some nuoc cham and you have a nice little bite with textures and briny saltiness.  As much as this was an appetizer of sorts, I would've been happy eating this by myself!

Here we go with the Phở Dặc Biệt because well, we needed to feature phở  at a Vietnamese restaurant.  As mentioned earlier, this was a solid bowl of phở  with a broth that was clean and had some rich flavours.  I wouldn't way it was particularly meaty, but the sweetness of the charred onion and daikon were present.  I could also get the licorice hits from the star anise.  The noodles were abundant and al dente while the thinly sliced meats were tender and plentiful.

Lastly, we had the Beef Luc Lac served on a sizzling cast iron plate.  Rather than cubes of meat, this featured thinly sliced beef.  This was closer in texture to the one found at Phnom Penh but with a much lighter sauce.  It was still sweet, savoury and caramelized.  Combined with the runny egg, this worked well with the plain rice on the side.  Overall, the food at Tang is quite good across the board.  Lots of interesting dishes in addition to the usual stuff.  We didn't get to try their hot pot or crab, but it looked good on the menu!  Something else to try next time!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Some unique dishes
- Well-portioned

The Bad:
- Parking at the back can be a challenge on busy nights
- On the pricier side

A Bao Time

I'm sure you have noticed that many restaurants are pretty pricey these days.  Even going for congee and noodles can cost you a pretty penny.  So really, eating out is a luxury, even if it is fast food.  Well, there is a form of fast food that is still quite affordable and tasty.  The stuff from A Bao Time (love the pun...) is definitely affordable for most people and they don't cheap out on the ingredients and the size of their baos.  They are also conveniently located steps from Brighouse station in Richmond.

So let's get straight to the bao where there are 12 different versions to choose from.  We had them all so it would be too many to post all the pictures, but the 3 in this picture were Bolabola Chicken Deluxe, Spicy Crayfish and Spicy Pork with Long Bean.  As you can see in the picture, they were shy with the filling.  The bao itself was fluffy and light while still holding up to the wet ingredients.  In additon to the good BBQ pork bun, my favourite was the Bolabola with a juicy pork, salted egg yolk and sausage.  It was like the Dai Bao at New Town Bakery.  So full of stuff, it was meal in itself.

Beyond the bao, the other prominent items on display are the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling).  These are ready to go just like the bao.  We sampled both of them and you know what?  These were pretty solid with all things considered.  The ha gau had a semi-thick dumpling skin, but it wasn't too chewy.  Inside, the shrimp filling was decent with a nice shrimpy bounce.  The sui mai were quite good with tender pork and a whole shrimp on top.

Digging deeper into the menu, there was also a selection of Congee.  We went for the Seafood Congee with shrimp, squid and fish.  As for the congee itself, it was on the thinner side, but was properly seasoned.  The amount of seafood was modest, yet it was cooked just enough.  So the congee itself was average, but the Salty Donut was excellent being soft and a bit chewy with a crispy exterior.  It was well-salted and could've been eaten by itself.

We also noticed they had Xiao Long Bao available and of course we had to try those too!  Turns out they were decent as well.  The dumpling skin was fairly thin (despite being stamped and not pleated) where the amount of soup was significant.  It was sweet and not greasy.  Other things on the menu included Cured Sausage, Chinese Tea Egg and Salted Duck Egg.  These items were worth a shot if you wanted to supplement your congee. So there you have it, all the food you can get at A Bao Time!  I think the bao for $2.25 - $2.99 are a good value considering the size and amount of filling.  Definitely a good snack or a meal if you eat a few of them.  One of the last cheap eats we have these days.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Cheap eat
- Bao are big and have lots of filling
- Dim Sum is decent

The Bad:
- Congee is too thin
- Mostly a walk-up spot, parking is not that easy to find  

Akira Sushi

Not to be confused with the longtime Akira Sushi that existed on Hastings Street in North Burnaby, Akira Sushi on Denman has been around for 23 years.  It is amazing that I've never tried the place out despite walking past it countless times.  However, I guess it isn't surprising as there are so many places to eat in Vancouver, especially Japanese restaurants.  Jacqueline and I were invited to try out some of their new menu items as well as some classics on the regular menu. 

We were started off with the Uni Shooter with real crab meat and ikura.  For those who do not like uni, I can understand some trepidation with something like this shooter.  But I find that when uni isn't fresh, especially the local variety, it can pretty much taste like garbage.  However, for this one, it was indeed fresh being sweet, a bit briny and creamy.  Due to the combination of delicate ingredients, I could still taste the crab as well as the pops of briny goodness from the fish roe.

Up next was the Kaiseki Bento for $46.00 with an array of dishes including Zaru Soba, Albacore Tuna Mango Salsa, Spinach Gomae, Ebi Mayo, Sashimi, Pudding, Fried Chicken, Maki Roll, Chawanmushi, Agedashi Tofu, Aburi Salmon Oshi and Fruit.  With all of these little dishes, it was hard to choose what to eat first.  However, the chawanmushi was our choice as we wanted to eat it hot.  It was silky, smooth and lightly sweet.  All of the other items were solid and there was a good variety for one person (a lot of food for one person though) or to share with another.

Our next starter was the cold Gomoku Somen that is perfect for the upcoming Summer months.  It consisted of wheat noodles topped with shrimp, crab meat, egg and mushrooms served in an ice bowl (to keep everything chilled).  We drizzled the side of dressing onto the salad, then subsequently, we tossed everything together.  Due to the ice bowl, everything was uniformly cold and that was appealing.  I found the dressing to be lightly sweet and it complimented the ingredients well.

One of their newer offerings is the Sukiyaki served over a a heat source.  There was an array of mushrooms, greens and premium beef in the cast iron pot.  The sukiyaki broth was poured tableside as well as some milk.  Extra dipping sauce as well as the usual raw egg was served on the side. The trick was to have everything cook through first and then we would dip the beef into the raw egg and sauce.  The beef itself was buttery and soft with a noticeable meaty flavour.

In addition to the new features I've already talked about, we also tried some classic dishes including the Aburi Set consisting of salmon oshi, jumbo scallop, engawa, aki ebi, foie gras, hamachi and toro.  As you can see, this was appealing to the eye, but in my opinion, also great to eat.  The sushi rice was chewy and lightly seasoned while the ingredients were fresh and clean tasting.  There was enough sauce for impact.  Personally loved the scallop and the salmon.

We also sampled one roll and it happened to be the very pretty Volcano Roll with tempura sakura garnish.  The roll itself consisted of imitation crab, salmon and spicy tuna.  It was coated in tempura batter and deep fried.  Then finished with spicy mayo, avocado, tobiko and green onion.  This was texturally interesting with the crunch of the outside giving way to the soft and warm rice.  It was definitely a bit spicy, but not overly so.

For myself and Jackie, we couldn't visit a Japanese restaurant without ordering Assorted Sashimi as well as a Charashi Don.  If the picture makes you think that the slices of sashimi were vibrant and sweet with a beautiful sheen, you would be correct.  This was some pretty good stuff, especially for a smaller spot.  Furthermore, the pieces were cut properly into the right size.  We also got the spot prawn head fried up afterwards.

If we had a cold don, it was time for a hot one in the Unagi Don which featured a huge piece of unagi.  There was enough of it to compliment the chewy seasoned rice.  It was sauced rather aggressively, but the rice needed that.  We also had some Mocktails including a Passionfruit Green Tea Mojito, Lychee Mocktail and Blueberry Mojito.  These were equal parts sweet and tangy if stirred before enjoying.  As you can see, the food at Akira Sushi is legit.  They have a great mix of classics as well as some modern dishes.  Something a bit for everyone at a reasonable price.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- A cut above the typical neighbourhood sushi spot
- They have the classics, but also newer modern dishes
- Good portion sizes

The Bad:
- Small spot, so limited seating

Saku (Coquitlam)

So haven't been back to Saku for quite some time and in fact, haven't been back to their original Robson location (which has now moved) since it first opened.  They've expanded several location since and their newest is in Coquitlam on North Road across from the Safeway.  We decided to hit them up because we'd already been to the close by Katsuya the last time when we were in the neighbourhood.  Have always thought that Saku is the best Japanese cutlet spot in town.

So Viv ended up with the Rosu Katsu which is a breaded piece of pork loin.  This was tender and juicy where the pork remained moist despite being lean and deep-fried.  The breading was aggressive, but not heavy.   The pork loin was evenly coated with a crunchy, yet not greasy exterior.  The set came with rice, miso soup, pickles, sesame seeds (that you grind yourself), tonkatsu sauce and salad.  You can get refills on the salad, rice and soup.

My son had the Hire Katsu which is not as lean as the loin with the little bit of fat on the side, where it provided a different texture and more flavour.  Although the difference between Hire and Rosu isn't apparent with all the breading, it is obvious when biting into the pork.  The hire is a bit more juicier and has a less firm texture.  As mentioned, the fat offers up aroma and extra porkiness.  Once again, it is served in a set with the same components.

For myself, I went for the Hire Curry Katsu which came with 2 good-sized cutlets.  Again, they were super crispy, but moist and juicy on the inside.  It sat atop a modest amount of chewy rice (but remember, we can get a refill!) that helped soak up all of the delicious curry.  Like most Japanese curries, this had a sweeter slant, but I found it not as sweet as other versions.  I could really taste the curry and the spice.  However, it wasn't spicy, which is typical of Japanese curry.

So my daughter didn't do the expected by ordering the cheese katsu.  Rather, she went for the Tomato Cheese Nabe featuring a rosu katsu bathed in a tangy tomato sauce while topped with melted mozzarella.  Hey she still got her cheese fix!  Although there was the expected sweetness in the sauce, it was surprisingly tart.  Not a bad thing as it kept things bright and appetizing.  As much as the rice went well with the sauce, this would've been better with pasta (but they don't serve pasta at Saku... LOL).

For my parents, they shared the Zenbu Katsu with almost everything including rosu, hire, chicken thigh, 2 pc cheese, 1 pc hotate, 1 pc ebi and 2 pc veggies.  For $39.95, we felt this was actually a good value.  As expected, the hire and rosu were exactly as the previous dishes.  As for the cheese, it was more cheese than pork, but that is the point.  Hotate and ebi were cooked properly being buttery while the veggies were cooked through but not soggy.  Like the first time I visited Saku, the food didn't disappoint.  Solid execution and with the refill of salad, rice and soup, you won't leave hungry.

The Good:
- Meat quality is high
- Solid execution
- Can refill rice, salad and soup

The Bad:
- Well, pretty focused menu, so if you don't like fried cutlets...
- Although I think the pricing is fair, it is getting up there like everything else these days  

Harvest Buffet

Ever since I caught wind of Harvest Buffet in Tacoma on IG, I really wanted to check it out.  Even though I like Feast buffet in Renton, I needed an alternative in the area for comparison.  Sure, there are other Asian buffets in the region, but not to the size and selection as Feast.  So on our way back from Portland, we made a stop at Harvest for an early dinner.  Upon entering the place, we noticed similarities with Feast.  Multiple food stations including a made-to-order noodles and a Mongolian grill.

But for the kids, it was all about the Sushi and really, there was a considerable selection of rolls and nigiri.  Naturally, many of the rolls were based on a California roll, but most of them were decent.  I found the sushi rice to be fairly on point, especially for a buffet.  As you can see, the nigiri was acceptable as well with a good fish-to-rice ratio.  The fish quality was also decent. They did a good job keeping most of the options well-stocked.

I personally love Soup and I swear I have an extra stomach just for that.  So I decided to try out 3 of the available 5 options (Hot & Sour, Miso, Wonton, Egg Drop and Coconut Taro Tapioca).  The Hot & Sour was surprisingly flavorful with spice and vinegariness.  Egg drop was rather bland, but the fluffy egg was appealing.  Wonton soup didn't taste like it should be, but was still okay.  Wontons were alright.  Meat was a bit weird in texture though.

Nearly the entire back wall of the restaurant was dedicated to Chinese Food (or something related to Asian cuisine) and the picture above is only one section of 4. I thought most of it was mediocre at best.  For instance, the broccoli beef featured meat that was far too overmarinated that it became too soft.  At the very least, the broccoli wasn't completely overdone.  Same with the green beans.  That was a positive.  Orange chicken had a dense texture and the sauce was sweet but lacking tang.

So the Chinese food also featured some Seafood including fried crab, honey shrimp, clams and baked mussels.  The crab was not very good as the meat was mushy, but that was to be expected with frozen crab.  Shrimp was actually quite good as well as the buttery black bean clams.  Mussels were motoyaki style and were serviceable.  There was also roast beef and that was cooked to well-done.  It was a bit dry.

Continuing on the Chinese theme, there was a small section with a variety of Dim Sum.  Most of them were some form of steamed bun while we also found Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice), Siu Mai, Beef Tripe and Chicken Feet.  The sticky rice was not bad being flavorful albeit rather wet.  The tripe was very tender, almost a bit too much as there was no bite.  Chicken feet were not fried/steamed enough as the skin and cartilage was a bit hard.  Siu mai were terrible.  Meat was mushy and it tasted weird, like there was too much onion (and there shouldn't be onion in siu mai).  The steamed bun was ok, but a bit stiff.

Over at the Mongolie Grill, there was a selection of meats, noodles and veggies.  There was also sirloin steak available.  I went for a mix of items and choose garlic and teriyaki as my sauces.  The items were cooked up nicely were the noodles were chewy while the meats were not overdone.  Veggies still had some crunch.  No absence of flavor either.  The steak was unfortunately quite chewy.  Adjacent to this was the noodle station and you could add a variety of meats and veggies to it.

Onto Desserts, we found a small section of treats and around the corner, there was a selection of fruit. Also available was hard ice cream available.  The desserts were serviceable but nothing special.  Fruit was fresh and the ice cream was good.  Overall, I found Harvest Buffet to be "okay".  Sushi and Mongolian grill were the highlights while the cooked food was serviceable.  The selection was massive though, especially for the price of $25.00 for adult weekend dinner.

The Good:
- Huge selection of eats
- Decent sushi
- Good Mongolian grill

The Bad:
- Cooked food is average
- Desserts are lacklustre